So it's that time of year and Hanukkah is upon us around the world, and it is truly prevalent throughout New York City's Upper East side. Menorah's adorn shop windows, potato latka's grace deli counters and the countdown begins to the 8 most important days of family, friends and feasting.
It was tonight I attended my first Hanukkah party at the Jewish Museum. It was a family affair catered with delightful Jewish delicacy's and laden with entertainment including arts and crafts, religious plays and a Hebrew acappella boy band to boot. And as per usual, as with most of these events, the entertainment for me was not in the sumptuous feast or fun family activities but the ever present and always captivating Jewish matriarchs.
An Upper East Side Jewish woman is a force to be reckoned with. She is proud, strong, well connected and definitely wears the pants. And the pants are definitely Gucci, Prada or on occasion in a more smart casual situation J Crew. It never ceases to amaze that no matter where they go or what they do the always appear immaculate. School drop-off and pick-up times become a makeshift catwalk of epic proportions, encompassing not only the Mother's in their designer casual gym wear tousling their lions manes of perfectly straightened hair, but also their little one's wrapped ever so snuggly in Ralph Lauren cuffs and collars and Burberry quilted coats. It's not to say that non-Jewish Mother's of the same area are not very similar, but Jewish women seem to have a different air about them which was definitely present at the Jewish Museum tonight.
As they glided gracefully around the buffet table meeting, greeting and double air-kissing it was as though we'd been transported to an elite playgroup the likes of which we babysitters - and of course let's not forget the Father's - are not usually privy to. Swanning from table to table and room to room each surveyed her fellow partygoer's with a keen eye, no doubt keeping tabs on Mummy and Kiddy fashions alike to ensure optimum status within this tight knit community. One can only assume they're constantly keeping tabs on each other - it's the only way to explain the popularity of Little Eric's shoe shop or their incessant over use of those monogrammed and personally monikered canvas bags. Who was the first to get those? And why did everyone else follow suit? Either way there's a factory in China that's making an absolute mint.
But beneath all the pomp and parade there is without a doubt a great underlying nature of giving within this scope of New York's Jewish community. As far as charity drives are concerned these women could raise funds to feed several small African nations in the space of a long afternoon lunch, and their support and promotion of women in the arts and all areas of business in general is nothing to sneeze at. Regardless of what or who you wear within these circles it is clear an avenue of support is always on hand no matter what the cause, as is steeped in Jewish tradition. And as trends come and go and their children grow older you can be sure these women will be raising the bar for thrift and charity shops up and down the East side for many years to come.
